S02.E03: Amarillo

[ShellSeeker]

 

Jimmy's client outreach efforts succeed, and he exhibits new heights of showmanship; Mike is puzzled by Stacey's upsetting news.

 

[SignGuy77]

I knew, in my heart of hearts, that the pig's name was Mr Snuggles.

[Bryce Lynch]

The toy pig Mike used to get the drop on Chris makes its debut! :)

Made me think it would great if we get to see Mike meet Lydia at some point.

Edited March 1, 2016 by Bryce Lynch

[FoundTime]

Okay, the actress playing Kaylee makes the character look older now than she was on Breaking Bad, which of course takes place in the future of BCS's story. This bothered me last season too but I let it go ;-)

[riverheightsnancy]

That opening scene, whoa. Jimmy is brilliant. Loved it.  That fuckin' Chuck. Wow the D-i-L is totally playing Mike. He sacrifices so much, stays up all night, and she still wants more, more, more. She is totally angling for him to move her and to stop working and for him to pay for it all. I hate her.

[Bryce Lynch]

That opening scene, whoa. Jimmy is brilliant. Loved it. That fuckin' Chuck. Wow the D-i-L is totally playing Mike. He sacrifices so much, stays up all night, and she still wants more, more, more. She is totally angling for him to move her and to stop working and for him to pay for it all. I hate her.

Either that or maybe she is as crazy as Chuck.

[SignGuy77]

Okay, the actress playing Kaylee makes the character look older now than she was on Breaking Bad, which of course takes place in the future of BCS's story. This bothered me last season too but I let it go ;-)

I don't really see it. But then, I'm purposely not looking for it.

[Umbelina]

That opening scene, whoa. Jimmy is brilliant. Loved it.  That fuckin' Chuck. Wow the D-i-L is totally playing Mike. He sacrifices so much, stays up all night, and she still wants more, more, more. She is totally angling for him to move her and to stop working and for him to pay for it all. I hate her.

Or she blames Mike for her husband's death?

 

I am going to need to watch all of this again.  Damn phone call.  You can't miss a minute of this thing.  What was the pig thing in BB?

[SignGuy77]

Or she blames Mike for her husband's death?

I am going to need to watch all of this again. Damn phone call. You can't miss a minute of this thing. What was the pig thing in BB?

Mike used Mr Snuggles as a door peep hole decoy to get the drop on an associate. I'm surprised the pig lasted that long.

[Bryce Lynch]

Or she blames Mike for her husband's death?

I am going to need to watch all of this again. Damn phone call. You can't miss a minute of this thing. What was the pig thing in BB?

In "Madrigal" Lydia hired Chris, one of Mike's men to kill Mike and 9 of his men who could connect her to Fring.

Mike put attached the pig to the front door of the house Chris lured him to and it made a knocking noise and covered the peep hole. He then snuck in the back door, forced Chris to drop his gun and, after finding out who hired him, killed him.

[SignGuy77]

Nooooo! Who's the guy???

[Umbelina]

Nooooo! Who's the guy???

Maybe Pryce?  Tuco?

 

Oh Jimmy...

[Bryce Lynch]

Was that Lawson showing the rifle to Mike in the preview?

Maybe Pryce? Tuco?

Oh Jimmy...

I doubt he would need a sniper rifle to kill Pryce. He is so stupid, he could easily be lured to his murder.

[SignGuy77]

Was that Lawson showing the rifle to Mike in the preview?

That looked like the friendly neighbourhood illegal arms dealer we all know and love.

Also, my money's on Nacho wanting to sever ties with his deranged boss.

[tennisgurl]

Just watching Jimmy do his thing is so entertaining. The shot of Jimmy in his all white suit and big ass cowboy hat next to the building with the Texas flag was just the right mix of epic and ridiculous. 

 

Its a slippery slope your traveling down, Mike. 

Edited March 1, 2016 by tennisgurl

[Umbelina]

OK, apparently I'm really missing something.  What is going on with Mike's daughter in law?  Who threw the gun out of the car?  Help.

[SailorGirl]

OK, apparently I'm really missing something.  What is going on with Mike's daughter in law?  Who threw the gun out of the car?  Help.

It was a newspaper delivery, not a gun that was thrown out of the car. I'm confused too -- I'm rewatching it now and there's only two things I can think: (1) the bullet grazed the house the night before and she didn't notice it, but that doesn't explain her insistence that she heard the shots at 2:13 when Mike was parked outside; or (2) she's making it up and she created the divot to get Mike to pay to move her out of there. We know she pretty much blames Mike for the husband's death, so I could see her thinking a better place to live, courtesy of Mike, is her due. 

Also, I think Jimmy is going to slip by (see what I did there??) and not get fired due to the success of the commercial. They'll bust his balls about it, but they won't fire him.

My first thought about who Nacho wants to eliminate was the new competition, some mystery man named Heisenberg, or maybe some loser named Cap'n Cook but that's probably just wishful thinking on my part. :-) My next, and more probable thought, was Tuco. And yep, that was definitely our friendly neighborhood arms dealer in the previews. 

Oh, and since I haven't said it yet this week . . . Chuck is SUCH. A. DICK. You could just see in his face how pissed he was that everyone was actually happy with Jimmy's work and explanation of the solicitation . . . the HORROR! 

Edited March 1, 2016 by SailorGirl

[Auntie Anxiety]

Kim will not be a happy camper if/when she finds out that Jimmy lied to her about the commercial and the subsequent call from his boss.

 

A few years ago in the BB forum, I posted that I'd love to watch a series starring Saul and BCS has delivered!  His "sales pitches" are mesmerizing, a thing of beauty. He really knows how to get his marks to eat that shit up. And I thought the Sandpiper class action suit commercial was fantastic.  Tons of production value at so little cost.  The elderly woman hit it out of the park. 

[Consternation]

That abandoned rail building with all the small windows that Mike met Nacho in at the end, that was in Breaking Bad wasn't it?  I think it was but I can't remember what went on there.

 

I'm not sure what's going on with the daughter in law.  First I assumed the paper delivery station wagon just backfires down the street.

Edited March 1, 2016 by Consternation

[Umbelina]

I really thought it was a gun, and I thought Mike heard enough to make sure his weapon was loaded. Time to adjust my TV settings I guess.

 

http://www.hitfix.com/whats-alan-watching/review-better-call-saul-takes-a-trip-to-amarillo-on-the-road-to-ruin Sepinwall cleared up a bit, but not the daughter in law stuff.

 

http://www.ign.com/articles/2016/03/01/better-call-saul-amarillo-review IGN does a good job of explaining why Chuck is Jimmy's kryptonite. 

 

http://www.ign.com/articles/2016/03/01/better-call-saul-amarillo-review Vulture really explains it, and is kinder about Chuck.

 

(my favorite so far:)
http://www.avclub.com/tvclub/better-call-sauls-showmanship-has-one-simple-secre-232958 AV Club 

The other is Better Call Saul. And as season 2 hits its stride, Gilligan and Gould are doubling down on their radical narrative strategy of simplicity. Characters pause before they make decisions. The small and finite set of contexts and causes impinging on them is clearly delineated. Consequences proceed directly from actions. And at the end of every episode, Jimmy and Mike, the protagonists of the only two plotlines, have moved a few spaces along a game board whose finish line is already set, and we know exactly what to anticipate the next time we see them.

 

But simple doesn’t mean simplistic. Because the plots are stripped down and moved forward step by step, we strategize alongside the characters. Because their decisions are given a generous cushion of narrative space, we hang suspended with them in their pivotal moments. Because the stakes are clear, we feel the existential weight shift from the anxiety of a free agent to the nausea of a condemned victim.

 

 

(Most of these catch a few Easter eggs.)

[SailorGirl]

And for this week's version of "why this show is awesome," I found the BB easter egg.

Saul Goodman's shell company in BB was named "Ice Station Zebra Associates." 

Wish I could take credit for remembering that, but I was revisiting this article and it was mentioned.  
http://www.vulture.com/2015/02/better-call-saul-breaking-bad-saul-goodman.html#

[rhys]

I thought the DIL's neighborhood looked nice. What can she be angling for?

[kat165]

I never saw Breaking Bad & had to catch a clue(s) via Wikipedia. I also didn't see all of

last season. I happened upon this show just before season 2 started & there was a

marathon just beforehand. It was sort of mesmerizing (Jimmy is one of the most interesting

character I've seen on tv in years) so I decided to check out season 2.

 

I managed to watch most of the 1st season marathon, but I'm still a little lost in places. I kind of

figured that woman was related to Mike somehow. Was her husband Mike's son? And is she

conning him about the shooting(s) or is she just nuts? Is that little girl his granddaughter?

 

Who is Chris? Who is Kaley? Who is Lawson?

 

Frankly, I'm finding the Mike parts kind of boring. The actor is great, but I'm having a hard

time following what's really going on there. Jimmy, on the other hand, is the reason I'm

watching. He's awesome. That opening was excellent.

Edited March 1, 2016 by kat165

[LittleIggy]

Poor Jimmy. If it wasn't for him, those fancy-pants, snobby law firms wouldn't have a case at all.

Each time Chuck is on, I hate him more. BTW, would the asshole refuse to let a person with a pacemaker in his presence?

Jimmy's spiel on the bus was indeed a thing of beauty.

[desmond]

I managed to watch most of the 1st season marathon, but I'm still a little lost in places. I kind of

figured that woman was related to Mike somehow. Was her husband Mike's son? And is she

conning him about the shooting(s) or is she just nuts? Is that little girl his granddaughter?

 

Yes, Mike is her father in law. And the little girl is Kaley, his granddaughter.

[Umbelina]

I never saw Breaking Bad & had to catch a clue(s) via Wikipedia. I also didn't see all of

last season. I happened upon this show just before season 2 started & there was a

marathon just beforehand. It was sort of mesmerizing (Jimmy is one of the most interesting

character I've seen on tv in years) so I decided to check out season 2.

 

If you think Jimmy is mesmerizing, you really need to also buy/rent/watch Breaking Bad.  I suggest buying, because the extras are so worth it!

I

managed to watch most of the 1st season marathon, but I'm still a little lost in places. I kind of

    figured that woman was related to Mike somehow. Was her husband Mike's son? And is she

    conning him about the shooting(s) or is she just nuts? Is that little girl his granddaughter?

 

Yes, that's his daughter in law, his son was killed, and Mike feels responsible.  The son wouldn't be "on the take" and Mike underestimated the response.  She could be really scared and over-reacting, but she has good reason to worry.  So, we don't know yet.  Yes, that's his granddaughter.

 

    Who is Chris? Who is Kaley? Who is Lawson?

 

Kaley's the granddaughter.

  

Frankly, I'm finding the Mike parts kind of boring. The actor is great, but I'm having a hard

    time following what's really going on there. Jimmy, on the other hand, is the reason I'm

    watching. He's awesome. That opening was excellent.

 

Wow.  I can't imagine anyone finding Mike boring, definitely try to catch the episodes you missed.  Mike's an amazing character, in almost every way.  Love the actor too, and he loved the role of Mike, the most complex he's played in his very long career. 

[FoundTime]

It was a newspaper delivery, not a gun that was thrown out of the car. I'm confused too -- I'm rewatching it now and there's only two things I can think: (1) the bullet grazed the house the night before and she didn't notice it, but that doesn't explain her insistence that she heard the shots at 2:13 when Mike was parked outside; or (2) she's making it up and she created the divot to get Mike to pay to move her out of there. We know she pretty much blames Mike for the husband's death, so I could see her thinking a better place to live, courtesy of Mike, is her due. 

Also, I think Jimmy is going to slip by (see what I did there??) and not get fired due to the success of the commercial. They'll bust his balls about it, but they won't fire him.

My first thought about who Nacho wants to eliminate was the new competition, some mystery man named Heisenberg, or maybe some loser named Cap'n Cook but that's probably just wishful thinking on my part. :-) My next, and more probable thought, was Tuco. And yep, that was definitely our friendly neighborhood arms dealer in the previews. 

Oh, and since I haven't said it yet this week . . . Chuck is SUCH. A. DICK. You could just see in his face how pissed he was that everyone was actually happy with Jimmy's work and explanation of the solicitation . . . the HORROR! 

Except Walt and Jesse aren't cooking yet. My money's on Tuco; I feel like we've been teased by VG & Co. that we'll get a little taste of him this season.

[AuntiePam]

I'm probably remembering wrong, but Stacey's house looks like the same one she lived in on BB.  It's a nice house, in a good neighborhood.  I don't think she's playing Mike.  I think she's losing it, emotionally.  It hasn't been that long since her husband died -- has it? 

[Umbelina]

I'm probably remembering wrong, but Stacey's house looks like the same one she lived in on BB.  It's a nice house, in a good neighborhood.  I don't think she's playing Mike.  I think she's losing it, emotionally.  It hasn't been that long since her husband died -- has it? 

Nope, Mike hasn't been there long, and he only stayed long enough to kill the cops that killed his son, right?

 

BTW, Mike:  http://www.amc.com/shows/better-call-saul/cast-crew/mike-ehrmantraut

 

AMC or wikipedia will have the low down on all of these character for those new to BCS, or wanting background from BB.

[SailorGirl]

Except Walt and Jesse aren't cooking yet. My money's on Tuco; I feel like we've been teased by VG & Co. that we'll get a little taste of him this season.

Good point -- no Heisenberg yet, but wouldn't Jesse at least be cooking now? He was cooking with Krazy8 before Walt came on the scene, right? What's the timeline differential between BCS and BB? How old would Jesse be right now?  Is he at least taking Mr. White's chemistry class right now? Can you tell I'm missing hearing phrases like "fat stacks" and dolla, dolla bills, yo," and the classic . . . "Bitch." 

Admittedly, I'm not sure Nacho would see Jesse as enough of a threat to want him to go away. . . 

Edited March 1, 2016 by SailorGirl

[kat165]

Thank you, Desmond & Umbelina, your comments have helped
a lot.

Umbella, what is her reason for being scared? Is she afraid of some

sort of retribution or whatever stemming from her husband's death?

 

It's not Mike that I'm finding boring, it's really the storyline with the dil

which is probably because I didn't know the background. I also couldn't

see what they were both staring at, at the side of the house. A bullethole?

We weren't shown what they were looking at & this just added to the

frustration of not having a clue as to what was going on. I really enjoyed the

Mike stuff with the hummer guy. He's an intriguing character/fine actor too.

Jimmy's story I have more of an understanding of and he'smore dynamic

so in this ep Jimmy's parts were just moreinteresting to me.

 

Maybe things w/ Mike will pick up for me next wk now that you guys have

filled me in and Nachois back & interacting with him. (Speaking of Nacho,

I hatedhis character on Orphan Black, but he's really good here.Now I get

why all the OB posters were excited to see himon that show.)

 

Thank you for the BB recommendation.

 

Question: from the threads I've read so far it seems like it would be next

to impossible to talk about this show without referencing BB. Why is BB

talk prohibited? Some of these scenes/characters don't make sense unless

you know the background (BB).

[Fisher King]

Mike's DiL is losing it.

Did J Banks suffer a nasty fall before filming this episode? His face looked bruised.

[Bama]

On the "Inside the Episode", they say that Stacey hears the newspapers being delivered - smacking loudly onto the concrete - and in her mind it becomes gunshots.

 

They also mention that she is suffering from some sort of PTSD and that Mike is at a loss on how to help her emotionally.

 

No nefarious plots, no gunshots or violent activity, and the divot in her house is probably just a piece of stucco that fell out and she didn't notice it until she went looking for "evidence".  Stacey is in the beginnings of a mental breakdown.

[thuganomics85]

Loved the opening scene!  The way Jimmy can talk to older people is amazing.  Manipulating or not (I do think he is sincere about wanting to help them), he really seems to have an amazing ability to read them, and understand what works on them, and what doesn't.  Same with that commercial.  I can totally see that working in real life, and he was right on the money.  Of course, I knew him trying to hide it from Cliff was going to bite him in the ass.  I guess he figured Cliff wouldn't want to go in that direction, and decided it was better to just do it and "ask for forgiveness."  I think he might escape getting fired, but I have to think this will effect his relationship with the firm going forward.  Not to mention if Kim ever finds out he lied to her.

 

Mike with Kaylee was sweet.  The way Jonathan Banks can drop his normal stone-cold act, and show a kinder side, is pretty damn impressive.  I have no idea what to make of the Stacy stuff though.  At first, I wonder if she was playing him for some reason, but now I wonder if she is losing her mind and is hearing things that aren't there.  Either way, it sounds like this might be what causes Mike to start taking more dangerous jobs.

 

Speaking of which, his first employer is Nacho!  I wonder who Nacho wants dealt with.  I can't see him wasting that much time on Pryce, so I'm thinking he wants to make a play against Tuco.  Either that, or he's heard of a new player that happens to run a successful fast food, chicken franchise....

 

Even in one scene, Chuck manages to be a dicky motherfucker.  He just hates the idea that Jimmy can do anything right or worse: even be better at him in certain ways.

[Umbelina]

Thank you, Desmond & Umbelina, your comments have helped

a lot.

Umbella, what is her reason for being scared? Is she afraid of some

sort of retribution or whatever stemming from her husband's death?

 

It's not Mike that I'm finding boring, it's really the storyline with the dil

which is probably because I didn't know the background. I also couldn't

see what they were both staring at, at the side of the house. A bullethole?

We weren't shown what they were looking at & this just added to the

frustration of not having a clue as to what was going on. I really enjoyed the

Mike stuff with the hummer guy. He's an intriguing character/fine actor too.

Jimmy's story I have more of an understanding of and he'smore dynamic

so in this ep Jimmy's parts were just moreinteresting to me.

 

Maybe things w/ Mike will pick up for me next wk now that you guys have

filled me in and Nachois back & interacting with him. (Speaking of Nacho,

I hatedhis character on Orphan Black, but he's really good here.Now I get

why all the OB posters were excited to see himon that show.)

 

Thank you for the BB recommendation.

 

Question: from the threads I've read so far it seems like it would be next

to impossible to talk about this show without referencing BB. Why is BB

talk prohibited? Some of these scenes/characters don't make sense unless

you know the background (BB).

BB talk is only prohibited in ONE thread.  That's it.  It was an amazing show, and this is a prequel to BB, focusing on Jimmy who will become Saul.

 

Mike's story, and why the daughter in law is so scared.  http://breakingbad.wikia.com/wiki/Mike_Ehrmantraut

Basically, all the cops were crooked, including Mike, it was the way it was.  His idealistic son was shocked and then killed to ensure his silence.  Mike then killed his son's killers.  Understandably, his wife is still a bit terrified.

 

On the "Inside the Episode", they say that Stacey hears the newspapers being delivered - smacking loudly onto the concrete - and in her mind it becomes gunshots.

 

They also mention that she is suffering from some sort of PTSD and that Mike is at a loss on how to help her emotionally.

 

No nefarious plots, no gunshots or violent activity, and the divot in her house is probably just a piece of stucco that fell out and she didn't notice it until she went looking for "evidence".  Stacey is in the beginnings of a mental breakdown.

That makes so much damn sense.  THANKS!

[shapeshifter]

DiL is "just" paranoid.

Chuck is actually right about Jimmy soliciting and that being illegal. I'm guessing Jimmy's correspondence law school didn't cover that.

Jimmy is a natural, he just isn't good at playing by the rules.

[Ronin Jackson]

Okay, the actress playing Kaylee makes the character look older now than she was on Breaking Bad, which of course takes place in the future of BCS's story. This bothered me last season too but I let it go ;-)

 

VG insisted that the actress they cast last season was "age appropriate", i.e. about 4 years old. If it's the same actress she'd be a bit older now. I also think the original actress who played the role probably aged over the course of Breaking Bad and ended up 10 when we last saw her (but started younger). Honestly, aging kids is such a hard thing to work around in a TV show, especially if time is passing slower in the show than the years that pass every season. (Viewers of Lost might recall how they basically had to write Walt out of the story for that reason). Kaylee is such a minor character that they can probably just get away with recasting the role every year but that's the only way around it.

Edited March 1, 2016 by Ronin Jackson

[Ronin Jackson]

Tuco would make the most sense as "the guy", if it's going to fit with what we already know about Nacho. Of course it could be a completely new problem for him altogether. If it is Tuco, obviously Mike is going to have to find a non-violent solution to the problem, since we know Tuco sticks around a while. Incidentally, we also know Nacho sticks around a while since he's still an associate of Saul's when Walt and Jessie show up ("It wasn't me it was Ignacio! He's the one!"). So perhaps Mike's job is he's got to peacefully untangle Nacho from trouble with Tuco.

[Lonesome Rhodes]

My God, but Odenkirk can turn on the charm.

 

I enjoyed the Art Direction of the conversation Jimmy ran to have with Kim at the top of the stairs at HHM.  It was bright and airy, in contrast to the shadowy and cloistered parking garage where they typically discuss business.  So, too, was Kim's being very straight with him and staying well within the ethical bounds of the situation.  There was no hint of shenanigans in what she wanted from him and she told him so in no uncertain terms.  No dark side from her.  This time.  Just the setting itself was anathema to Jimmy.  He acted as a vampire might when presented a cross.  

 

I also noticed Jimmy's sideburns were jet black - shoe polish black, at the end of the broad pan along the wall flag with him in his white suit.  Quite the figure he cut, eh?  His hair was the typical brown when he was in the van talking to his "aunts and uncles."

 

Make it rain for Davis & Main?  The genesis of Saul.  Right here.  Right now.  Witnessing it was almost a religious experience, y'all.  

Edited March 1, 2016 by Lonesome Rhodes

[Quilt Fairy]

I thought this episode was a little slow and non-eventful, although I appreciate that it moved Jimmy and Mike's stories forward. What I can't understand is why Jimmy didn't show the video to his boss, He was going to, he walked to the office, he's standing in the doorway.......and then he turns around and goes back to his office. What is supposed to be going on in his mind at that time?

 

And if Davis and Main is doing mesothelioma commercials I don't see they'd have much to complain about in Jimmy's commercial.

[Umbelina]

Jimmy was afraid the stuffed shirts would be embarrassed by the theatricality of it.  They took AGES to simply approve a boring words-scroll, and thought they were innovative with the slightly wavy background color.  He knew they would kill it in committee if not off the bat.  He figured he'd impress them enough with the huge number of callers to overlook it.  Better to apologize later than hear a no.

[RCharter]

Wow....that episode just seemed to fly by!

 

Well, Kim's message is now crystal clear.  If Jimmy doesn't keep that job and do well, she is gone.  I get that solicitation is a thing, I get it, but dang, she just seems to take every opportunity to take a dump on him.  I was happy that she liked the commercial.

 

Bye Playah :(

On a more serious note, what happened to the Matlock suit?

 

 

 

Nooooo! Who's the guy???

I'm assuming its Playah.  

[Bryce Lynch]

I never saw Breaking Bad & had to catch a clue(s) via Wikipedia. I also didn't see all of

last season. I happened upon this show just before season 2 started & there was a

marathon just beforehand. It was sort of mesmerizing (Jimmy is one of the most interesting

character I've seen on tv in years) so I decided to check out season 2.

I managed to watch most of the 1st season marathon, but I'm still a little lost in places. I kind of

figured that woman was related to Mike somehow. Was her husband Mike's son? And is she

conning him about the shooting(s) or is she just nuts? Is that little girl his granddaughter?

Who is Chris? Who is Kaley? Who is Lawson?

Frankly, I'm finding the Mike parts kind of boring. The actor is great, but I'm having a hard

time following what's really going on there. Jimmy, on the other hand, is the reason I'm

watching. He's awesome. That opening was excellent.

Chris was one of Mike's underlings in the Gus Fring drug operation. After that organination collapded, Mike used Kaylee's toy pig to help him kill Chris, who had been hired to kill Mike and I believe 8 of Mike's other men.

Kaylee is Mike's granddaughter, his late son's daughter. He dotes on her and attempts to put large sums of money away for her in BB.

Lawson is a folksy illegal gun dealer, who has at least a glimmer of a conscience. He appeared in 2 BB episodes selling Walter White a .38 Special snub nosed revolver with the serial number defaced and later an M60 machine gun and several hundred rounds of 7.62x51, (garage door opener not included) which were used in a memorable scene.

[SignGuy77]

I'm thinking it's definitely Tuco that Nacho wants to conclude business with.

We know from season one that he's already unhinged, even if he's not yet deep into sampling the meth he's moving (and we don't know that for sure).

But Saul pleading "It wasn't me, it was Ignacio," does not mean that Ignacio is still around. Somehow Mike's dealing with Nacho will involve Jimmy again, and maybe some kind of double cross. But that's for the speculation thread, sorry.

The Ice Station Zebra thing was a deep cut. Missed it on the first watch. Too enamoured with the damn plush pig.

[benteen]

Really good episode.  Loved the beginning with Jimmy doing his pitch.  Bob Odenkirk always does a great job with this and it never gets boring.  Jimmy should have gotten approval from his boss to run the ad but he gambled and it paid off for the company.  Where that goes for him, we'll find out.

 

I guess they've given up on the age of Mike's granddaughter.  I thought the DIL might be manipulating Mike but I'm thinking more and more she's mentally unstable.  Looking forward to see Mike and Nacho working together.

[ghoulina]

I guess I am a bit confused as to what constitutes "solicitation" in regards to practicing law. D&M has already been sending out direct mailers. Cliff was apparently okay with the IDEA of a commercial (but was understandably pissed he never saw it before it ran). But during the meeting they made it sound like you cannot just go up and approach these seniors and offer your services. I'm not sure how a direct mailer is all that different in theory. 

 

Personally, I loved what Jimmy did on the bus. I really have no idea if how the news of the lawsuit was relayed to those seniors was wrong. Certainly paying the bus driver to fake a breakdown crossed some ethical, if not legal boundaries. But then again, you have Sandpiper not allowing access to the old people, and probably throwing out the mailers. Sometimes you have to fight fire with fire!

 

I think the thing about Jimmy is, it's not as if he WANTS to do bad. But I think he's a problem solver, and he's very clever, and he simply thinks outside the box when coming up with solutions. Also, it can't be denied, he's a performer. He LIVES for the drama of it all. I don't think this necessarily makes him disingenuous. But I think he is very aware of people, their personalities, what makes them tick. And it's just easy for him to slip into the mode that works best for approaching them. I think he could be a very vital asset to a law firm, but he is a bit too impulsive and that makes him risky. 

 

But boy, isn't Chuck just WAITING for one little slip?? When he finds out Jimmy aired that commercial without approval, he's going to flip out. 

 

I thought the commercial was great. LOVED the callback to the film students from last season, as well as Mrs. Alpine Shepherd Boy. "I'm ready for my closeup, Mr. McGill". Dead. I was dead. It was a brilliant commercial too. I just hate how Jimmy went about it, because I know it's going to get him into trouble. I'm really not sure why he just didn't try to get approval. My guess is that after Kim seem shocked that D&M would go for such a thing, he really began to have doubts. But he's like that kid that KNOWS he has a good idea and if he can just get it out there, and let the adults see the results, they'll be singing his praises. 

 

That's what breaks my heart so much about Jimmy. He really is so child like. And not in a bad way. He's not annoyingly immature or anything. But for as quick and clever as he can be, he's also very naive. And idealistic. And he wants SO badly to impress those that he sees as superior to him. He spent years trying to impress Chuck. That blew up in his face, and now he's trying so hard to impress Kim. I just want him to get to a place where he is confident in himself and doesn't constantly seek the approval of others. But I know what it takes for him to become that person. 

 

 

And now we're also seeing what led Mike to become the person we know HE eventually becomes. Fucking Stacy. I knew that chick was shining him on last season, milking him into helping her out. But now she's taking it way too far, acting as if her freaking house is being shot at. I wonder if she was always like this. Or if this is some sort of revenge, because she ultimately holds Mike responsible for Matty's death. She's alone now, and struggling, and she's going to get what's owed her. 

 

And she closes her eyes to how it's all possible. Granted, Mike is an adult. A fully functional grown man, who can just as easily say "no". But his one weak spot has always been his granddaughter. And even though he is a smart man, and he spent the night outside that house, I think he truly believes Stacy and is going to do whatever it takes to keep them safe. Mike is finally going to cross the line, and there will be no turning back. I don't blame Stacy. And yet I do. 

 

Nice knowing you, Playuh. 

[ghoulina]

On the "Inside the Episode", they say that Stacey hears the newspapers being delivered - smacking loudly onto the concrete - and in her mind it becomes gunshots.

They also mention that she is suffering from some sort of PTSD and that Mike is at a loss on how to help her emotionally.

No nefarious plots, no gunshots or violent activity, and the divot in her house is probably just a piece of stucco that fell out and she didn't notice it until she went looking for "evidence".  Stacey is in the beginnings of a mental breakdown.

 

Wow, I didn't get any of that at all. Maybe I'm just a paranoid, cold-hearted bitch. But I seriously thought she was making the whole thing up, down to creating the "bullet hole" in the wall. Now I feel kind of bad for being so hard on her. 

[riverheightsnancy]

And now we're also seeing what led Mike to become the person we know HE eventually becomes. Fucking Stacy. I knew that chick was shining him on last season, milking him into helping her out. But now she's taking it way too far, acting as if her freaking house is being shot at. I wonder if she was always like this. Or if this is some sort of revenge, because she ultimately holds Mike responsible for Matty's death. She's alone now, and struggling, and she's going to get what's owed her. 

 

And she closes her eyes to how it's all possible. Granted, Mike is an adult. A fully functional grown man, who can just as easily say "no". But his one weak spot has always been his granddaughter. And even though he is a smart man, and he spent the night outside that house, I think he truly believes Stacy and is going to do whatever it takes to keep them safe. Mike is finally going to cross the line, and there will be no turning back. I don't blame Stacy. And yet I do. 

I understand that it would be hard for any single parent to handle raising a child alone and she may be having some type of stress response as well, but wouldn't she have received death benefits? Usually the BPA is very helpful for widows. Maybe I missed something and I have never watched BB, but wouldn't the spouse receive something? (killed in the line of duty stuff) The child would get SS as well, right? Survivor benefits, & if they had insurance as well. Why is she acting so destitute? 

[ghoulina]

I understand that it would be hard for any single parent to handle raising a child alone and she may be having some type of stress response as well, but wouldn't she have received death benefits? Usually the BPA is very helpful for widows. Maybe I missed something and I have never watched BB, but wouldn't the spouse receive something? (killed in the line of duty stuff) The child would get SS as well, right? Survivor benefits, & if they had insurance as well. Why is she acting so destitute?

 

Matty was killed right before Better Call Saul season 1 started. They showed Mike moving out west right after. By the time of BB, it's really not a topic. It was addressed more in the first season of THIS show. However, Stacy's finances are never addressed in detail. I have no idea if her or her daughter are getting any kind of benefits. I could buy things being a bit tight, but I still think she is taking advantage of Mike a bit. Last season she told him that she still had some "dirty" money she had found in Matty's things and asked him if it was okay to spend it. Mike told her it was, and then she made some passive aggressive comment about it only being "a drop in the bucket". I think that's why I was so ready to believe she was making the whole gun shot thing up. But I suppose it could always be a mix of her trying to use him, and also legitimately having a bit of a breakdown. 

[Blakeston]

Mike's daughter-in-law should absolutely be getting benefits through her late husband. And didn't they establish that she has a job?

Wow, I didn't get any of that at all. Maybe I'm just a paranoid, cold-hearted bitch. But I seriously thought she was making the whole thing up, down to creating the "bullet hole" in the wall. Now I feel kind of bad for being so hard on her.

You're not cold-hearted. I'm taking the makers if the show at their word that her concerns were genuine...but there was something about the way she handled it that just seemed "off." Especially with her being adamant about not wanting Mike to stay there overnight.

If you genuinely believe that someone is firing bullets at your house, wouldn't you want the toughest man in the world there to protect you?